Philip Mesmer Newland (2 February 1875 – 11 August 1916) was an Australian sportsman who excelled at

Australian rules football Australian football, also called Australian rules football or Aussie rules, or more simply football or footy, is a contact sport played between two teams of 18 players on an oval field, often a modified cricket ground. Points are scored by k ...

cricket Cricket is a bat-and-ball game played between two teams of eleven players on a field at the centre of which is a pitch with a wicket at each end, each comprising two bails balanced on three stumps. The batting side scores runs by striki ...

and lacrosse. He played Sheffield Shield cricket for South Australia as a wicket-keeper and toured England with the Australian Test team in 1905.

Life and career

Newland was a member of the noted Newland family of South Australia. His father was author Simpson Newland and he was the brother of surgeon

Henry Simpson Newland Sir Henry Simpson Newland, (24 November 1873 – 13 November 1969) was a distinguished Australian surgeon. As president of the Australian War Service League he was active in promoting selective conscription and martial law during the Second W ...

and politician

Victor Marra Newland Victor Marra Newland, (18 August 1876 – 12 January 1953) was an Australian army officer and politician. He served in the Second Boer War and with the King's African Rifles in the First World War, was decorated for his service in each, and ret ...

. Phil Newland was educated at St Peter's College, Adelaide, and the University of Adelaide, where he studied law. He was

called to the Bar The call to the bar is a legal term of art in most common law jurisdictions where persons must be qualified to be allowed to argue in court on behalf of another party and are then said to have been "called to the bar" or to have received "call to ...

in 1899. Newland made his first-class and Sheffield Shield debut in 1899/00 but had to wait over two years to make his second appearance. He took part in every Shield campaign from 1902/03 to 1905/06 and usually batted in the lower order. His highest score of 77 was made on the Adelaide Oval, in a 106 run ninth wicket partnership with spinner Robert Rees. Up until 1904, when he retired from lacrosse, Newland represented South Australia in the sport and was earlier a leading player for Adelaide University. He was also an Australian rules footballer, playing with the Norwood Football Club in the

South Australian Football Association The South Australian National Football League, or SANFL ( or ''S-A-N-F-L''), is an Australian rules football league based in the Australian state of South Australia. It is also the state's governing body for the sport. Originally formed as the ...

. Newland captained Norwood's 1904 premiership team, which had come back from 35 points at the last change to win. Newland toured England in 1905 as a reserve wicket-keeper and understudy to Jim Kelly. While in the United Kingdom he played in 10 first-class matches with the Australian team, but could only score 67 runs at 9.57 and effect 13 dismissals. His disappointing performances may have been as a result of an eye injury he received during the trip over, which was bad enough that he had to see an oculist in London. He had earlier, in 1904/05, toured New Zealand and played two matches against the national team. At that stage, New Zealand weren't a Test playing country so the matches had only first-class status. Newland suffered from chronic poor health after the tour of England. He practised as a lawyer in the town of Balaklava, north of Adelaide, until his health deteriorated about two years before his death. He died at his home in Knightsbridge, Adelaide, leaving a widow and four children.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Newland, Phil 1875 births 1916 deaths People educated at St Peter's College, Adelaide Adelaide Law School alumni Australian cricketers South Australia cricketers Australian rules footballers from South Australia Norwood Football Club players Australian lacrosse players Cricketers from Adelaide Wicket-keepers